Bolivian sales increase by 7.36% in the first half

The Bolivian Institute of Cement and Concrete (IBCH) reported Tuesday that sales of cement in the country grew 7.36% in the first half of this year compared to the same period of 2011, with the department of Beni having the highest rate growth of cement demand with 85.34 per cent of the national total.

According to the IBCH, in the first half total sales amounted to 1.27Mt, while in the first half of 2011 they reached 1.18Mt. In 2011, the rate of growth in cement sales reached 7.7 per cent.

After the department of Beni, it is Santa Cruz de la Sierra which is positioned as the second department in cement demand at a rate of 12.02 per cent and Chuquisaca with 10.93 per cent, are the two departments that increased demand.

The data show that in the department of Oruro demand contracted by -4.3 per cent, as in the department of Potosí, where the contraction reached -0.9 per cent, but the greatest contraction occurred in the Pando, where he -40.23 per cent.

Meanwhile the department of La Paz grew by 6.86 per cent; Cochabamba with a rate of 6.84 per cent, in the department of Tarija 2.35 per cent.